Backward and Forward

So my daughter and I walked from one end of the mall to the other today, which for a 5 year old is a pretty long trek. She was fairly dissatisfied with our progress, but then, unexpectedly, right there in front of Candy Craze, my preschooler dropped some pretty strong revelation. In fact, it was a word I needed, and perhaps one you need as well. You're saying, "what possible divine download could a 5 year old bring to me?" Here it is...are you ready? She stopped, turned around, and said, "Daddy, look how far we've come!" 

The thing about leaders, whether ministry or otherwise, is that we're always intense, always focused. We are leading our team, leading our organization into growth and development. We are highly aware of goals and objectives, and there's always more people to reach, more to be accomplished, further to go. In our journey from one end of the leadership 'mall' to the other, we have a propensity to become dissatisfied with our progress. Our problem is that we are always focused on what's now and what's next and we forget to stop and turn around to see just how far we've come. If we did, we would probably be very encouraged. 

So, do that... right now! Take 2 minutes and look backward to evaluate how far your ministry or organization has come. Now, make that part of your weekly routine...to take a look backward. Another thing...your team needs to hear you say, often, "look how far we've come". They take their cues of encouragement or discouragement from you. When you're encouraged, they need to know it. A word of warning...make sure you don't get stuck looking backward. You need the perspective of the past for encouragement, but you also need an awareness of the future to stay challenged. As with other matters of perspective, balance is key. Be blessed as you cultivate an ability to look backward and forward!